Team Fire Monkey
by NeoMiniTails
Summary: Chai Xiba, a boy full of secrets, is teamed up with Hino Rei to make a fighting team called "Fire Monkey," aptly named by Edge Master as a joke. Together, with Leixia, Natsu, and Leixin, they will come together to grow, develop, and fight. What happens when everything changes and what they thought they knew changes and threatens to break them apart? ReiXiba KilikXianghua
1. Prologue: Introducing Chai Xiba

To the outside, he was the "Kind Monkey Boy," always smiling, always living life on the edge and all too happy to enjoy a nice meal or two. Xiba was the boy that people didn't expect to grow up and become a respectable man. He'd grown up not knowing his real parents since they apparently walked out on him when he was young. Apparently, some of the other woman of the village had made it their duty to ensure he had breastmilk since his actual mother had better plan than caring for her little red-headed baby.

Even so, he could never say he was lonely-at least, not aloud. He grew up with people pitying him, always the boy who "had no parents, the orphan-boy." The latter was a nickname for years until one little girl decided that he climbed trees like a monkey. After that, word spread... and the name "Orphan Boy" was gone and "Monkey Boy" stuck.

The little girl had been trying to be funny, but in the end, she ended up, making his life better. People laughed and associated his name with his energy, his never wearing shoes rather than what his parents did. The young man didn't even know them, and they nagged him up to this very day. The shadows of the invisible parents hung over him and no matter what he did to shake them off, they hung on and squeezed onto him, taking refuge in the life that they had both abandoned.

In truth, even after the name change, he knew that there were many who still saw him as that "Orphan boy." That lonely child, that little boy who was always in a fight, the one raised by a drunk and will never amount to anything, the boy named Xiba, "The Orphan Monkey Boy."

For that reason, he had to smile. Even when he felt like crying, he had to keep it up, in hope that one day, the thing that was unnatural to his face would become his natural face. One day, when he finally moved away, his smile would be seen by other's for what it truly is.

Xiba turned to his right, watching the girl beside him with careful eyes as he continued doing remedial moves that he had been doing since the day he could stand on his own. Everything came natural, each thrust, each stance, the anger being let go, it all came natural. There was relaxation in doing this kind of thing-even if he hated practicing it.

Even so close, they had a distance between them that was virtually always there. Thrusting his arm forward, the wood broke into uncountable pieces, that sound being the only thing that could awaken the silence. The girl kicked in the air, the sound of wind cracking in the air-like a whip and it stung like one too. He should know; they'd been sparring partners on many-an-occasion.

That girl, he watched, was named Rei Hino. In Japanese, it apparently meant: "Spirit of Fire." Still, it was a rather strange name if someone asked him, but no one was asking so he kept his thoughts to himself.

The girl kicked in the air, and he frowned as Edge Master came up from behind her and told her to adjust her position.

The light of the sun filtered through and Monkey Boy could see her in a way that no one else saw her, that long violet hair that matched her eyes swingly violently as she practiced moves without a sword or rod like many of the other students of the academy. Of course, here, they didn't have to worry about what was normal for the academy because this place was Edge Master's own training grounds and his students: just those two.

Her name fit how she moved in training-like dancing flames, each move destructive and beautiful. He swore that he could see her heart in her movements and in those eyes that had never pitied him. She had never known the "Orphan Boy." Heck, she didn't even call him by his other nickname.

"Xiba, are you finished warming up?" Edge Master asked as he moved away from the female and looked towards the male in the room who smiled in response.

"U-uh," It was almost weird to hear his real name when no one actually called him that. In fact, even in his own mind, he was just 'Monkey Boy. "Yeah, pretty much..." Xiba answered, his attention still on the girl in the room.

Rei wasn't the type of girl that guys mentioned in passing, no, she was more like the type of person that stayed in people's mouth, if not for her beauty but for her strange behavior. He hadn't known her long; in fact, he wasn't even sure if they had known one another for a year yet. The men of the village had been driven crazy, looking to get Edge Master's permission to marry her. They looked like fools,-trying to swoon her, only to be rejected.

Xiba was never one to act crazy over anybody; nobody could be special enough to make him look like a fool though Edge Master said that his parading around shirtless and shoeless was foolish enough.

"Very good. Today is going to be a calmer day as I must make preparation for the owner of the Kali-Yuga; he wants to meet his next successor." Edge Master said calmly, his gruff voice grabbing the attention of Rei, the Japanese teenager who he had taken in as a daughter.

"You mean, your disciple, Kilik-san is coming today?" She said, speaking Mandarin Chinese though she still used Japanese honorifics. Of course, he told her that when they were alone, it was fine to speak in Japanese but in public, he wanted her to not stick out.

Xiba turned to the pretty girl, a smile on his face. "So you've met him before?" The old man often spoke of him whenever they had a chance to be alone. For whatever reason, his adoptive father, Kong Xiuqiang, never wanted him to hear stories of the Kali-Yuga successor, always claiming the stories were useless for his little "monkey boy" to keep developing as a warrior.

Rei's face turned slightly. "Um, yes, once or twice." Looking away, she wasn't quite sure how to take Xiba speaking to her in training as they hardly ever spoke in front of her father figure.

"Mr. Xiuqiang should be coming home soon..." Edge Master's tone sounded dark yet like he had said a dirty joke that only the "Kind Monkey Boy" understood.

Of course, Xiba understood very well. He wasn't even supposed to be there, training with him when his father clearly said that he only wanted him under his wing at all times, but for the past week, he would have been down in the marketplace, making a fool of himself. Drunk and probably out of money, he would make it home and ask him how his "vacation" was and talk about how cruel the western civilizations could be.

Xiba scowled. He understood very well. Monkey Boy only hoped that Rei could stay naive of his situation for just a little longer. Kong wouldn't want him there, training under the greatest weapons master in all of the Eastern world, no, he'd rather have him under his wings for all eternity, waiting for the drunk to get home after making himself a "fool" so that all the people can laugh at him.

His father only wanted him to train under him and learn the "drunken fist" rather than how to use the staff that had been given to him long before his birth, a staff that had always been there, the one thing, in this life, that felt like family.

However, the joke in the old man's voice, it had nothing to do with any of those things. In fact, the so-called "joke" wouldn't be all that funny to him once he got home and dealt with the joke of a man that he called his father.

Xiba only prayed that he wouldn't be sober enough to react to the news that he had been training with Edge Master.

Truth be told, it wasn't like he enjoyed training all that much. In fact, he hated it, but a part of him felt empty and distracted when he went without it. Since the day he was born, it was a part of his daily regime, always fighting, always getting stronger, breaking his body down to the cellular level then rebuilding himself even stronger for the next day's regime.

Some would say that he was like a dog, licking up his own throw-up. Xiba would have to agree, but then he'd think about the comparison (that no one had actually made but himself) then get mad. When he got angry, he got hungry and when he started to eat, he wanted to work it out... then that would cause him to train-then the whole process would start again.

Xiba sighed, disgusted with himself. He really was like a dog.

Rei raised an eyebrow, her eyes sternly focused on him. The young maiden always had this look in her eyes that seemed to read him like he were some children's book. He hated that look. It made her no different from the villagers, always thinking they were one step ahead of him, as if they could tell him where he was going before he made a move.

The two sat there, locked in a staring contest, both too stubborn to look away and give it up.

Tired of watching them, Edge Master sat down, hoping that his next actions would catch their attention, as he pulled a letter from his pocket, the dust underneath him came up like a cloud as the girl stepped back, not wanting it to get on her training clothing. "The letter says that he would like for me to tell the 'sweet, kind, and beautiful Rei' his salutations and to also help improve the skills of the next supposed successor.

"You sure that he's talking about 'our' Rei?" Xiba joked upon seeing a slightly red-faced girl, her expression priceless.

Rei frowned. "Kilik-san wouldn't lie... h-he's not like a buffoon like you!"

"What'd you say, you little scrawny princess?" he barked back. "And I didn't say he was lying-he could just be thinking about someone other than you or got you all figured out wrong."

"Oh yeah, wanna talk scrawny, little boy?" Rei smiled lightly, a glint in his eyes that he hated more than anything.

Xiba's face contorted angrily. Why did she always have to go there about him being short in comparison to his contemporaries? It wasn't like she was much different. "Yeah, whatever, make me a sushi roll or something..."

Rei stared at the boy, her eyes piercing. "Don't make me laugh... little boy."

How could he forget? She had a nickname for him, too... it was the most insulting of them all. "Master, tell her to stop calling me that!" The sixteen year old boy cried out, tears practically about to fall from his eyes.

Rei watched him with disdain. "No one believes you're that sensitive," she said softly as she stood up and walked past the red-headed male, the scent of cherry blossoms gracing his senses. He couldn't see her, but he knew she had stopped right behind him. It was what she always did when he started acting dramatic.

Xiba kept his eyes down low, not wanting to look at the weapon's master, afraid of what his expression would be. Would he be upset? Did he find their antics funny?

"Xiba, will you be good when I'm gone?" The old man asked, his deep voice shattering Xiba's thoughts.

"Of course, Master. I can take care of myself."

There was silence. He wasn't sure why, but it was there and he hated it. Silence was his enemy. It reminded him of home. It reminded him of the place that he wanted to avoid.

"Chai-kun," Rei broke the silence, her voice barely above a whisper. The maiden didn't say much of anything,. waiting until their master had left before she turned around and bent down to his level where he was sitting, "why does it always feel like when he asks that question that one day, we're going to lose him?"

Xiba stayed still and continued looking down. Why did she have to say something like that? What was she? An idiot?! He couldn't imagine a day when he would ever leave them especially not him. Edge Master was the only person who had always been there, who understood him... no one else.

He smiled and turned around, preparing to say something snarky but froze upon seeing her eyes-so close to his. "You shouldn't think so much..."

Rei stood up and walked away from him, looking out the windows of the temple grounds. It was mid-afternoon so he assumed that there were children and families walking around as they tended to do at this time of day. He used to sit there, watching them until one day, a girl caught him and said that he looked so sad.

Xiba stood up and stretched his arms and legs, eyeing her again. "Is your memory coming back yet?" He asked for no particular reason besides the fact that he didn't want to go home, immediately and he didn't have any money to buy food-not for another two weeks, at least. Man, he needed a job quick... though he worked about four, already.

Rei shrugged her shoulders, not bothering to look at him, just focused on the outside. "Do you want me to leave you so badly?"

Xiba looked away, biting his bottom lip, unsure how to answer it.

"Chai-kun," Rei spoke again, turning around, "to be honest, I am afraid of remembering, I don't even try anymore. I am afraid that when I remember everything.." she paused, her eyes seeming to look past him with these sad eyes that Xiba couldn't. "What will you do when I leave this place?"

"What do you mean?" Xiba chuckled, trying to change the mood, uncomfortable. "I'll borrow money from someone else, that's what I'd do."

Rei smiled and giggled lightly and stared at him with this look that he had never seen, a look that said so much and nothing at all. "Whatever happens, Chai Xiba-kun, don't change."

"Huh?"

"Stay the same."

"What's with you suddenly?" Xiba growled as she smiled at him. Why was she doing that? It wasn't a pity smile so why was she doing it? He looked away then flashed to a dream that he had been having, a dream where he is running away with her to a world where only they belonged.

She grabbed his wrist and the dream flashed again as he pulled back from her, scared, the dream flashing over and over to the final part where he is standing over her, screaming at her, venom in his tone, blood all over the room and for whatever reason, whenever he woke up, he never felt scared. In fact, he felt peace...

What should feel like a nightmare felt like a dream and though he felt bad for it, at that moment, he knew there was something wrong with him. It felt like he needed to protect her from himself.

"Chai-kun, let's get something to eat."

"Whaa-d'ya say?" Xiba smiled suddenly, the stress and anger building up his hunger as it always did.

Rubbing her temples, she frowned. "I owe you... so let's get something to eat." She was lying, but it really didn't matter. He was hungry, and that was that.

Maybe, he'd protect her from himself another day. "Yeah, let's go!"


	2. Waiting on a hero

**Outside of Edge Master's Home**

**Rei's Current Residency**

There were a lot of things that Rei and Xiba didn't talk about, some things important and other things that they knew not to ask about because neither would answer anyways. Even so, he knew her better than any other male in the village as did she to him. Edge Master called them complicated and unable to relate to others, only to each other-and themselves.

While neither one liked being told that , neither one refuted the cold, hard facts. They were born alone and would die alone. Just the same, no one knew them for who they were when they were brought out of the womb and they will die, going back into the darkness with no one knowing the true them.

Rei stared at the moon, wondering if she and the red-haired boy would ever talk about what had happened a few months on a night like this.

Probably not... but why did she think about it so much? Why was he so dang hard to read-always in his own thoughts, a world where she could never connect-didn't he even care?

Of course, she never talked to her 'papa' about what had happened, just as she had promised the handsome young man. Rei had never told anyone about that night, but then again, she didn't really have anybody to talk with besides him and gossiping with the gossiped about their gossip wasn't exactly the most thrilling thing.

Getting up from her spot, she turned to the left and began to stretch her legs, still restless from the four hour training session that Xiba convinced her to join in after their dinner. "Why do I even bother with him... jeez..."

Looking up the hill, she had almost expected to see him come down with that tired expression that doesn't want to talk, the expression that only she knew. It felt like she saw a mirror into his soul-a mirror that saw the sadness, the loneliness, the goof ball that saw the good in others but never in himself.

She waited for a moment, wondering if she should stay out later, just in case Xiba came up and around-with his father coming home that night. Scratching the nape of her neck, she frowned and decided to just give up.

No one was worth losing sleep over, not even him.

oOooOoo

**Chai Xiba's Home**

"Monkey Boy! Monkey Boy!" Kong called out, dancing around the kitchen in his drunken blunder, his eyes so glossy that it looked like he may have glass for an eye. "Orphan boy, whatever the hell your name is, come in here!" he shouted, a sly smile on his lips.

Xiba sat in the other room, pretending to be sleep, hoping that he would forget whatever that was wrong with him. He couldn't lay down for fear of what the man would do tonight if he really did fall asleep.

He could hear the sound of clay ceramic dishes being thrown again as the old man scream profanities. "Stupid ass Monkey boy, where's the money! Where'd you hide it? We need money to take care of the taxes that the government proposes!" Xiba bit his lip, fighting the urge to tell him that he had spent it all as he always did.

There was money in the house, but not for him to spend. Heck, Xiba couldn't even spend it until the time came to pay for the land they were using.

The sound of more pots being broken filled the air, the drunk man's shouts sending shivers down Xiba's spine.

"You little ass wiping Orphan, is this how you repay me?" Kong sent Xiba's room door crashing to the floor. The light of the moon only brilliant enough to see his cruel dark eyes, glossed over and cold. "Where is it?"

Xiba sat in the back of his bed, paralyzed in fear. "I-I'm trying to sle-" His mouth was covered by his father's hand who, with his other hand, grabbed him by his hair and pulled him up. Using the thumb of the hand that covered his mouth, he covered his nostrils.

"Wh-wa-what are you trying to do?" His tone was cold and dark, the moon's light shining fully on him. "Answer me!" He slammed the boy's head into the wall then threw him across the room. The old man walked to his position, leaned down, and in his most threatening voice, he whispered, "where is the money, Orphan little Monkey Boy... daddy wants his money. How can I train you without money to care for the house, eh?"

Xiba stared up at his attacker, his father by adoption and Master. The man he'd grown afraid of more and more with each year, the man who attacked him just enough to keep him from bleeding when he was in a drunken rage, fear in his eyes-and the only thing he could think of why was it not Kong who he was standing over in his dreams.

"Master," He coughed, hacking from the earlier attack. "Get some sleep; you don't know what you're doing."

Kong stared at his face, disgusted by the young man before him. "They didn't think I could be Krita-Yuga successor, but the master of all weapons thinks you can be successor to the Kali-Yuga, eh?"

Kong sat in front of him, his face so close that their noses were touching, eyeing the spear that Xiba had forgotten to put up before he got home. "Because of that, you're like the villagers, thinking you're better than me, that you can tell me what to do." He looked like he wanted to kill him and as much as Xiba wanted to prove his strength, to fight back, he couldn't.

He had only fought back once, and because he did, the young man hadn't seen the outside for a month until the wounds were healed. Xiba remembered that day clearly, he remembered being so scared that he was going to die.

The old man sat on his legs then grabbed Xiba's face and with a smile, he slammed the back of his head into the wooden floor with so much force that the young man screamed, swearing that it would burst on impact. He pulled it up again and was about to do it again until he fell sideways into a drunken slumber.

The world froze for a moment. The older man was still partially on his legs, his mouth wide open on the floor, slobber on the floor. Xiba couldn't move, but his hands were shaking along with the rest of his body.

Was he afraid or happy to still be alive? He wanted to leave and see if Rei had been waiting up for him, but he was afraid of what he looked like. His head was somewhere between numb and throbbing, but his neck felt like someone had taken a knife and tried to cut through it.

It took him about an hour and a half to get his mind on right and finally move from where had been thrown. The young man walked out and brought back in a lantern, his heart somewhere between beating and burning him with it or using it to be useful-whatever that meant.

He moved his father to the bedding on the side, wanting to believe that his father didn't know what he was doing. It was just another drunken rage; he didn't mean it. Of course, he didn't because otherwise, he wouldn't have kept him for so long. Kong only called him those mean things because he was drunk, that's it. He was sure every parent did the same thing.

Kong was his father who just happened to express anger more expressively than others.

The sky was still dark, but the moon was fading. It looked like the sun would be up in a few hours. He hadn't slept and wasn't planning to, still unsure what was worse: his father or his constant dreams.

He had to go to school so he had to smile. Work on it. C'mon, work on it, because he wasn't a sad little orphan boy. No, he was Monkey Boy, the over excited and happy kid who was hyper and hungry all the time. Xiba was the teenage boy that guys wanted to hang out with and girls fawned over.

He had to be strong.. because that's who he was, because if he wasn't then he'd go back to being Orphan Boy-he couldn't do that. He just couldn't.

OoOOooOoOOooO

**Training School of the Pure Hearted**

**Zhen Hang Mountain**

Leixia couldn't believe her sights when she finally arrived. Even more so, she couldn't believe that her father had let her come to this far away land-in this mountainous region of the Ming Empire.

Of course, it would have been better if she didn't have to bring Leixin with her along for the ride or if her father hadn't requested, by her mother's doing, that she would have a team of protectors with her at all times by next week if she were to stay at the school for the next few months. Apparently, her mother couldn't understand why she couldn't continue training under her and her her father.

Leixin looked around the school grounds, a look of disappointment evident on his face. "I imagined a school of ninjas or something," the thirteen year old boy moaned as he read the book that their mother prepped for them on their adventure. "Do you think that we will meet any real heroes-like the kind mom talks about in her stories?"

The older girl's eyes brightened at the idea but didn't actually reply. Finding a real hero and training under one, that had always been her plan... that way, there could be stories about her being told to future generations.

She looked around and saw nothing but children, no different from her, sitting in the courtyard-conversing and only a few paired up in a training match before their classes would begin. If this were her competition, this would be an easy win for her to become the next hero of the people. There were rumors that a special weapon, a staff that could eliminate darkness, was being passed down soon to the most powerful and pure-hearted warrior.

Laughing aloud, she startled Leixin, the thought of using her parent's power and superb fighting skills to become the hero-would make everything a piece of cake. "I'll show them!" She pumped her first.

Leixin sighed, scratching the back of his head. "Talking to yourself again, eh?" He swore that his sister did that way too often to be healthy.

"Oh.. no.. I was talking to you," she lied, smiling sneakily, thinking she had him fooled.

"Fine. Sure," Leixin resigned, "Let's go with that." He'd rather let people believe that than the truth that he feared. He continued reading his book while following Leixia from behind until his attention caught a dark-haired girl and red-headed boy arguing by the doors of the school's entrance.

"Chai, what do you mean that you fell on your head?" the girl screamed, cupping his head the way that his mother, Xianghua, did whenever he got hurt after playing, checking for marks.

"I just did," the handsome boy responded, folding his arms, looking away.

Leixin fumbled with his book, trying not to be nosy, but the way he responded reminded him of himself when he was lying to his mother, trying to ease her pain.

"Can I take a look at it, please... or will you keep that..."

The young man scowled. "I don't need anyone thinking that we're going out because you're touching my head, Rei."

The girl whose name was apparently Rei sighed. Before she could anything more, the boy jumped from his spot and ran over to where Leixin and his older sister were standing. "Nǐhǎo!" the boy greeted, a smile on his face that almost read as rebel.

"N-N-Nǐhǎo..." Leixin stepped behind his sister, not really good in social situations.

"Nǐhǎo," Leixia returned the greeting, excited to meet a boy from the mountain, himself.

Xiba's eyes widened, excited. This was so awesome! She actually spoke Mandarin... and looked almost exactly like the woman that came to see him once a year. "Sorry, I don't mean to get ahead of myself..."

Leixia backed up. Get ahead of himself? Was he about to ask her out without asking for her name? How would she respond to this kind of invitation or what f-what if-no, it couldn't be that! Could he be one of those perverts that her father warned her about that lived outside of the mainland of the empire?

"Let's do it..."

Leixia's face turned completely red. "Do it? Right here, right now..." Sure, he was cute, but she was a virgin-and although she wasn't ready for marriage yet, there were plenty of suitors who were willing to wait long enough to ask her father for her hand in marriage at least.

The girl that had been yelling at him before walked over. "Xiba, you sound like a pervert with your shirt all open, and you run over without explaining what you want, just that you want to do it..."

Leixia looked up at the girl. She wasn't much taller than her, but she had this air of aristocracy that suggested that she came to China, wanting to do the same thing she did. "Mr. Xiba, I don't know if I'll be good..." She continued to say, looking away, biting her fingernail.

Leixin's mouth dropped wide open. "Why didn't you just refuse?" He exclaimed, wondering what was going through her mind.

Rei turned and giggled at the new girl. "He wants to train with you." Staring at her clothes, it was evident that she was of a higher society than the people who trained here, "For now, Princess, I'll fulfill his request."

Xiba's mouth went up, and a dark smile came over him. "Are you sure about that, Scrawnz?"

Rei put her finger to his lip as if to shut him up. "Right now, she knows nothing of your monkey boy traits, Chai," she whispered into his ear, "make yourself a name while I make it even worse when I beat you, okay?"

The two jumped back a few feet, their auras pressing Leixia and her brother back. These two-they weren't normal-even in her father's army, she had never felt so much pressure between two people training.

One wrong move and they could kill one another.

Maybe they were the heroes that she and her brother came to this mountain looking for, after all.


	3. A Priestess's Duty

**Author's Note:**

_This story has my shortest chapters - of all my newer stories. After two chapters mostly about Xiba, Rei finally has a chapter-about her._

_Enjoy!_

_Please review._

**Translation note:**

_Rei say's a line in Japanese: Aku ryo tai san which literally means, "Evil Spirit, be gone."_

**Training School of the Pure Hearted**

**Zhen Hang Mountain**

The wind blew, and the two teenager's auras peaked, their energy thrusting rocks away from them, a smirk on the handsome red-headed boy as he ran forward with his staff at his side, his energy fluctuating.

Leixia's eyes widened. She had never seen someone with so powerful of a fighting aura in her life. Was he even human? She watched as the girl stayed still, waiting for him to get close. "Hey, get outta the way!" She cried out as the young girl covered her little brother's eyes-afraid of what would come next.

Xiba thrusted his staff forward, going straight into... thin air. No, that didn't make sense. Leixia could've sworn that the other girl had been standing still the entire moment.

"_Aku ryo tai san!_"

Leixia looked around, trying to see where she had suddenly heard someone speaking a language other than her own. Looking upwards, she could see the pretty woman above Xiba with a piece of paper in her hand, coming down as he quickly moved out of the way. "Hey stupid, I told you... that won't work on me!" Xiba exclaimed as he back flipped away from her.

Rei's face didn't change. "I won't know until I try..." She moved forward, this time taking initiative.

Xiba sighed. "If you can catch up to me," there was a smile on his face as he spoke as she began to try to kick him, but he used his staff with a quickness that was hard for Leixia to keep up with, "you won't ever be able to try... but even then," he grabbed her by her shoulder and flipped her over him then with her back to him, he took his staff and spinned it on the ground, knocking her over. "Even then, you'll be sadly mistaken."

The young man jumped backwards, showing off as he often did in training as he landed just above her in a push-up position, a smirk on his face. "You should really leave the fighting to real warriors, Rei." His brown eyes mocked her, knowing it would sicken her enough to get her to get more serious.

Leixia stared in awe. "He's amazing, isn't he?"

Leixin nodded.

"It's not over yet," a girl suddenly said from behind them with wild blonde ponytails. Leixia could've sworn that she had seen her before, but it seemed highly unlikely as she'd never been allowed into this part of the dynasty for fear of what lied in the unknown world out there. "It's a shame though, don't you think?"

Leixia turned to the new girl with sudden interest. She didn't answer, unsure what to say, not wanting to sound stupid to this person she had never met.

The girl smiled slightly. "Being a woman, in this culture, she stands no chance, does she?" The girl had this sad look in her eyes that reminded her of her own mother.

"I think girls have plenty of opportunity... they can marry a rich man of power, and what do they have to worry for?" Leixia responded with a smile, "I mean, she's beautiful so I'm sure there are many suitors who are willing to make deals for marriage with her."

The green eyed woman looked at her blankly. Leixia wasn't sure how to take it for it weren't cold, nor confused, not even angry... but rather devoid of emotions. "What if she doesn't want any of those things?"

The empress daughter frowned slightly. What kind of woman wouldn't desire such a thing? Turning her attention to the fight, she could see Xiba had been backed into a tree where Rei aimed her kick for his neck to which he dodged as he swung his staff forward however she also dodged as she aimed for where it hurts.

It connected. Xiba doubled over.

Leixin's mouth stayed agape; he could feel the pain that he imagined Xiba had felt. "This is bad."

The blonde looked down at the thirteen year old. "What is?" she asked, scratching her cheek.

Leixin just shook his head, hoping that the young man had a good control of his emotions after an attack like that. Training could easily become a real battlefield to the death with those kinds of dirty tactics.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" Xiba cursed the woman before him, wishing many things that he couldn't say aloud that he wished could happen to her. She had kicked the wind out of him with all that she had.

Rei' folded her arms. "You piss me off... I don't think my answer could be any simpler than that."

"What kind of answer is that?" He yelled, throwing himself off the ground, grabbing her by her arms tightly. "This is a freaking training session..."

"Oh... yeah, whatever!" She shot back, glaring at him. "Trying to impress the new girl while you're battling me... really?! Do you think that I am so weak and unworthy as a training partner?"

There was a silence as she stood there glaring at him, her eyes cutting like a knife.

Xiba stared at her wide-eyed with a smile on his face. "So... Scrawnz, you were jealous?" He smiled handsomely.

"Hey, you two, either get back to training or get ready to go to class since no one wants to hear you argue." The blonde came forward, a pretty smile on her face.

"N-Natsu?" Xiba stammered, backing away. "When did you get back?"

Rei folded her arms and looked the other way. "Like you didn't know she was here... that was when you decided to start showing off..."

Natsu smiled lightly. "I've been back for a while, but I had been staying at your friend's house for the past week..." Playing with Rei's hair, she looked over at the handsome young man. "I was so battered from my last mission that I didn't want you to see me until she could give me some of her herbal medications."

Xiba turned to Rei, his face slightly red. "I'm sure you looked fine." He chuckled, "it can't get any worse than Rei on a good day."

Natsu blushed. Looking away, her face suddenly became serious. "That's nice, but once you all graduate this school and are able to join me, I'm going to be so happy. It won't be so lonely... and maybe, we can visit my homeland and see my master and mother."

Leixia watched them, unsure whether to walk up and join them or to stay back and watch. She looked down unsure if she would even fit in especially with the way the short and concise conversation with the blonde had gone. She was sure that Natsu thought she was an idiot.

"Leixia, we should go find the monks..."

Leixia nodded. Why hadn't she just joined them like she normally would? They felt like they belonged to another world from her. How could anyone not want what she had been taught since she was a child was the way it should be?

"Come on, Leixia, we should hurry..."

**Training School of the Pure Hearted**

**Zhen Hang Mountain**

**Inside the Temple**

'_Let's run away...'_

Rei sat up, walking the way down to the masters. Looking to the right, she could see the men of the village gathered together, posing and training. They were all waiting to be the one who inherited the Kali-Yuga, the weapon of great power that Kilik had once been entrusted with before during the battle against Nightmare.

Her eyes caught onto Xiba who stood in the middle of the three hundred men, his eyes having a certain light to them that often cheered her up when he was in battle. Why couldn't she be out there with him? Together, they could make each other stronger, she was sure of it.

"Priestess Rei, daughter of Edge Master, come here." A man of darker skin awaited her. His slanted eyes watched her with lust as he sat back, his arms resting on the back of his chair.

Rei walked forward, keeping her eyes only on him. "Yes, Master, what can I do for you?"

Resting his head on his hand, his bicep flexed as he smiled. "Priestess, what are the reports that I hear about you and Xiba earlier today?"

"He was training, and I was helping him."

The man's eyes narrowed. "Are you trying to sully your image?" He moved from his spot to where she stood as he licked his lips. "Priestess, explain to me... what you thought you were doing."

She looked down when he got close then shuddered when his hands touched her shoulders, rubbing them sensually. "The Ageless One wants to know of the visions that the rumors have spoken about concerning you," he whispered into her ear.

"You are an untrustworthy man, Master," Rei finally said, her eyes looking peering into his own, a steel there that he hated. "My father wishes for The Ageless One to give him time to understand these visions, and when the time comes, he says that I can speak to you on this matter."

The muscled man backed up, angered but unwilling to touch her at the mention of her father. "How long does he wish to keep us in the shadow of the future of our village and our world?" He lifted a sword off the ground and threw it into the ground, cracking it. "You realize that, if we do not solve the crisis that our country is facing, what will happen to you?"

The priestess nodded, not even flinching at the idea. The man watched her as he walked back up to her with a smile on his lips. "Of course, you can run away with me..."

Rei raised an eyebrow as he lifted her hand and rubbed her palm onto his face then kissed her inner palm. "That would be running away from destiny... Master, you are a Monk, do you wish to bring a calamity upon your people by such unclean thoughts?"

'Let's leave this place... and run away...'

A different person's voice repeated in her mind, the only person she would run away with if they asked again. She always wondered if that person ever thought about that day ever again despite her answer to him If he had asked again, with his hand outstretched like that time again, would she had left with Xiba? Would she have left these people and Edge Master without another thought?

"Such a shame that you hate yourself so much," the man scoffed, taking her face into his hands, smiling deviously. "To know both your possible destinies and be willing to live in this village without even trying to get away, you must despise yourself."

Rei stood silently as he leaned over and kissed the teenage girl on her lips as tears streamed down her cheeks. What was the point? Why would she even try to start loving herself if she were to live a hateful life or die by the one she loved the most?

"People—like you-are made with such funny facades; women, like you, are made to look desirous to the eyes, but you aren't made to be given the pleasures of life." The man softly said into her ear as he kissed down her neck. "If the dark one awakens in your timeline, the one you love most will be given the kali-yuga and with that, he will kill you... isn't that one of the destinies? With that blood, we will sacrifice you to the Gods and Goddesses above... in hope that your purity will bring about hope."

She didn't answer but rather cried as he continued his kissing her body and rubbing her body. "The other destiny, for the priestess of the purest flames... you will, after you've turned eighteen, live here and never see the night of day... you will become a prostitute for us because you will have proven useless to us. You will provide us with children who have your blood-so that they will become possible inheritors of the Kali-Yuga."

The sound of footsteps came from behind Rei as she watched the man cower away from her as she turned to see an attendant come inside. "Priestess of the Purest Flames, we must ask for your presence. The daughter of a high official is looking for your blessing."

"I'll be there in just a moment," Rei said softly as she waited for the attendant to walk clear out of sight. She turned to the man that had been kissing on her then frowned. "Master, I'm sure your wish for the visions to be handed to the monks and the people will be soon... and then, Master, I will gladly hand over this body to the village."

She was about to walk out until she stopped and saw him laughing to himself. "Master, may I ask a question?"

The man didn't move a muscle.

"What if one day I get my memory back and I change my mind... and I begin to love myself, what if I ever fall in love and desire to be with them-will it be possible to change my destiny?" Her soft voice lifted through the air. She thought about Xiba and his smile, and the look in his eyes that she could never imagine living a day without seeing. "Am I such a despicable human being that my only destiny is..." there was a pause, "this."

The man's eyes widened then moved his mouth but no sound came out.

With that, she walked out, ready to give blessings to people that she wasn't able to give to herself.

The man stood up. "Hold on, Priestess." he said in a distinctly dignified tone, "the truth is... even if you learned to love and your world suddenly changed, not all humans are made equal. You, with those demonic violet eyes, the one who showed up in flames unscorched... while your blood is precious, you, yourself, are nothing more than a tool as a means for salvation. Our people's salvation."

Rei smiled as if to say that she understood then walked out the room and continued on until she could no longer feel any auras nearby, a place where she was far away from everyone else and backed herself into a wall. Her shoulders shook, and her body felt heavy as tears fell down her eyes.

Just this one moment, she needed this. For one moment, she needed to be weak, to love herself enough to loathe her destiny-and if that was selfish and evil of her, she was fine with that.


End file.
